Yoga Nidra: A Cosmic Sleep Journey

Hello dear ones and welcome to tonight's yoga nidra session a cosmic journey into sleep just taking a few moments now to arrive in your space in your bed or maybe on the floor and feel as though the night itself is tucking you in let your body soften into the surface beneath you as if the earth has been waiting all day to hold your weight if it feels comfortable for you closing your eyes gently and breathe a slow inhale like drawing in the moonlight and a slow exhale like releasing the day back into the dark there is nothing you must do now no one to be and nothing to solve feel the stillness around you the silence allow your jaw to loosen and let your shoulders melt allow the muscles of your face to relax as though you are finally removing a mask you didn't know you were wearing and breathe imagine that breath is not only air imagine it is a gentle spirit moving through you quieting the mind and softening the heart now in the quiet temple of your mind plant one simple sentence like a spell spoken softly to the stars your sam kalpa maybe i am safe sleep carries me home i rest deeply or anything that comes to your mind as your own sam kalpa and when you have something repeating it silently three times to yourself and letting it go trusting that the seed has been planted now begin to drift your awareness through your body like a lantern moving through a darkened room bring your attention to your right hand your fingertips your palm your wrist your right forearm your right elbow your upper arm your shoulder now the left hand the right hand the fingertips the left palm the wrist the forearm the elbow the left upper arm the left shoulder letting both arms become heavy now bring awareness to the right foot the right ankle the right calf the right knee the right thigh the right hip the right knee and now bringing awareness to the left foot the left ankle the left calf the left knee the left thigh the left hip now bring awareness to both legs feeling heavy and grounded next bringing awareness to your spine the long river of the back bringing awareness to the lower back the middle back the upper back the head let your skull rest like a stone in the sun bring awareness to the whole body at once a sleeping creature of stillness now bring your awareness to the breath feel it entering and leaving entering and leaving in and out in and out like the tide beneath the surface of your ribs now imagine you are standing at the edge of a great night ocean the sky is filled with stars the water is black velvet the ocean whispers to you says you do not have to carry today anymore you take one step forward and then another until you enter the water the water is warm you wade into it slowly and it welcomes you like a womb you begin to float with every breath your body becomes less solid you feel light as if you were floating in the cosmos in space the ocean takes your worries from you she says give them to me and you do you release your fears your tiredness your future plans your unfinished conversations your hidden sadness she takes it all from you and holds it whilst you float the stars above you shimmer you are weightless floating in the warm ocean like you are quietly drifting through space now return to your sankalpa repeating it again softly and now you do not need to try to listen to my voice let your awareness dissolve as if you are becoming part of the darkness let your body sink let your mind fade away sleep is coming closer and closer like a slow lullaby and as you drift away know this you are safe you are held you are allowed to rest sleep now dear one sleep now